Health News
- Senate Oks Bill To Regulate E-cigarettes Just Like Tobacco Products
A bill to limit the sale of electronic cigarettes in the same way as sales of tobacco products passed the state Senate on Thursday, March 6. Senate Bill 109, sponsored by Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes...
- Doctors Give Nurse Practitioners More Leeway On Prescriptions; Senator Says Tort-reform Lobbies Should Play Hardball With Money
"Concerns about a growing doctor shortage, especially in rural Kentucky, is fueling the urgency for lawmakers and medical groups to agree on an approach to allow nurse practitioners to be able to prescribe certain medicines without physician supervision,"...
- As Health Care Expands And More Providers Are Needed, Pressure Grows To Allow Nurse Practitioners More Prescribing Authority
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News As Kentucky expands Medicaid and implements the Affordable Care Act, more Kentuckians will have health coverage and access to care, worsening Kentucky's already existing shortage of physicians, particularly those...
- Legislature Eases Physician Assistant Rules; Nurse Practitioners' Prescription Power, Medicaid Prompt-payment Bills, Others Linger
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News The Kentucky General Assembly has joined other states in easing the restrictions on physician assistants? medical practice, but has held up a similar move for advanced registered nurse practitioners....
- Senate Panel And House Ok Bills To Tackle Prescription-bill Abuse
Two bills aimed at attacking the state's prescription drug abuse problem made headway yesterday, with a major difference between the House and Senate measures, reflecting possible turf battles between state agencies and doctors' desire to maintain...
Health News
State Senate passes long-sought bill to ease prescribing of non-narcotic drugs by advanced practice registered nurses
After years of lobby fights between doctors and advanced practice registered nurses, the state Senate has passed 36-1 a compromise version of legislation that would allow some APRNs to prescribe non-narcotic drugs without having an agreement with a physician. Advocates of the bill say it is needed more than ever now that federal health reform and expansion of Medicaid are bringing more people into the regular health-care system.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, said it "will be the best thing for access to health care, for availability, for cost, for making sure we take care of our citizens here in Kentucky."
The House passed a bill last year to repeal the doctor-agreement law entirely, but it stalled in the Senate. Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, negotiated a deal with the APRNs and the doctors' lobby, the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would allow APRNs who have practiced for four years to prescribe such medicine without any relationship with a doctor. It is now in the House.
The House passed a bill last year to repeal the doctor-agreement law entirely, but it stalled in the Senate. Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, negotiated a deal with the APRNs and the doctors' lobby, the Kentucky Medical Association. The bill would allow APRNs who have practiced for four years to prescribe such medicine without any relationship with a doctor. It is now in the House.
- Senate Oks Bill To Regulate E-cigarettes Just Like Tobacco Products
A bill to limit the sale of electronic cigarettes in the same way as sales of tobacco products passed the state Senate on Thursday, March 6. Senate Bill 109, sponsored by Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes...
- Doctors Give Nurse Practitioners More Leeway On Prescriptions; Senator Says Tort-reform Lobbies Should Play Hardball With Money
"Concerns about a growing doctor shortage, especially in rural Kentucky, is fueling the urgency for lawmakers and medical groups to agree on an approach to allow nurse practitioners to be able to prescribe certain medicines without physician supervision,"...
- As Health Care Expands And More Providers Are Needed, Pressure Grows To Allow Nurse Practitioners More Prescribing Authority
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News As Kentucky expands Medicaid and implements the Affordable Care Act, more Kentuckians will have health coverage and access to care, worsening Kentucky's already existing shortage of physicians, particularly those...
- Legislature Eases Physician Assistant Rules; Nurse Practitioners' Prescription Power, Medicaid Prompt-payment Bills, Others Linger
By Molly Burchett and Al Cross Kentucky Health News The Kentucky General Assembly has joined other states in easing the restrictions on physician assistants? medical practice, but has held up a similar move for advanced registered nurse practitioners....
- Senate Panel And House Ok Bills To Tackle Prescription-bill Abuse
Two bills aimed at attacking the state's prescription drug abuse problem made headway yesterday, with a major difference between the House and Senate measures, reflecting possible turf battles between state agencies and doctors' desire to maintain...